Grant will aid parking at Carthage farmers market

CARTHAGE — Patrons soon may see new parking and traffic patterns at the Carthage Area Chamber of Commerce farmers market.

The Chamber of Commerce was accepted Nov. 4 for a $25,000 matching grant to improve traffic flow at the farmers market pavilion parking lot.

"It's going to make the farmers market a lot more accessible, a lot safer and lot easier to accommodate other events," chamber Director Edie A. Roggie said. "Pedestrian traffic has been a big concern of mine."

Mrs. Roggie said that she hopes construction can begin next spring but that she is not confident the project will be complete before the first farmers market in May.

Traffic congestion is worrisome particularly regarding the Wilna-Champion Transportation Association shuttle, Mrs. Roggie said. The shuttle bus provides transportation to the market for people who are disabled or older than 60 and stops four times at the pavilion on days the market is open.

"To accommodate them is really important," Mrs. Roggie said.

The grant money will pay for a project that will add 10 parking spaces and create one-way access to the parking lot, which has become more congested as the popularity of the farmers market has grown.

Teri L. Ellis, chamber board member and co-manager of the market, said she is pleased with the growth of the farmers market after having installed running water and electricity, but she worried about the difficulties the congested parking lot could pose.

"Within the last three years especially, the market has grown to the extent that the good problem is we have a traffic issue, but by all means we have a safety issue, too," Ms. Ellis said.

Mrs. Roggie and Ms. Ellis also said they hoped reconstructing the parking area would improve the viability of the pavilion as a location for other community events.

The grant, provided through the state Department of Agriculture and Markets' Farmers Market Grant Program for capital improvements, requires that recipients match at least 50 percent of the cost of the project.

The town of Wilna, the village of Carthage and the Jefferson County Highway Department are partnering with the chamber to make the project possible.

County Highway Superintendent James L. Lawrence said the three governments are providing the matching part of the grant through labor and equipment, at a projected total cost of $27,862.

The county will assist the village and town with infrastructure, landscaping and blacktopping because it is a worthwhile project, Mr. Lawrence said.

For the village, improving the parking situation at the farmers market pavilion has a broader benefit because the lot is near Long Falls Park and the bridge to Guyots Island.

"There has been a big congestion down there because of the popularity of the farmers market," village President G. Wayne McIlroy said.

Mr. McIlroy said he hopes to open a portion of Guyots Island within the next year, adding to the potential for traffic congestion in that area.

John F. McHugh, community development coordinator for the Economic Development Corporation of Carthage, said the rerouting of traffic at the farmers market pavilion has the potential to bring people to all three attractions near the parking lot.

"If people have convenient access, they're going to come and use the facilities more," Mr. McHugh said. "You have a bunch of good things happening down there. It's a great community cooperative initiative. It improves the livability of the community."